Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has signed a decree pardoning 32 people (20 women and 12 men), his press service announced. The pardons are linked to the upcoming Belarusian Independence Day, celebrated on July 3. (Ahead of last year’s Independence Day, Lukashenko pardoned 16 people.)
According to the Viasna Human Rights Center, 28 of those pardoned are political prisoners. The Belarusian government’s press release states that they were convicted of “crimes of an extremist nature.”
It is claimed that they had petitioned for pardons and, as part of the process, admitted their guilt. The names of those pardoned have not been disclosed.
Some pardons in the country are issued in exchange for the lifting of foreign sanctions. Last December, for instance, Belarusian authorities pardoned 123 people in exchange for the removal of sanctions on Belarusian potash. Among them were Maria Kalesnikava, Ales Bialiatski, and Viktar Babaryka.
